Improvement in harvesters



Niren STATES Frisia.

ATENT i' IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 12,769, dated AprilrQ, 1855.Y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it` known that I. ABNER WHr'rELY, of the county of Clarke and State of Ohio, have invented several new and usef'ul Improvements in Grain and Grass Harvesters and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of thisspecification.

These improvements enable me to combine an automatic raker or deliverer of the cut grain received on the platform of the reaper with placing the finger-bar and platform oblique to the line'of draft,cutting the rear angle formed by the line of draft and finger-bar less than a right angle, also a chute on the rear of the platform on the side opposite the master-wheel, and constructing the machine With shafts so as to drive tandem, so as not only to deliver the cut grain in bunches or sheaves on the ground, but also to reeldown and convey the grain on a continuous straight line across the platform, said line being as much` oblique to the line of draft as the finger-bar is to the right angle to the line of draft, so as to clear the road for the team when cutting the next swath, and cause the reel to bring in the grain in front of the divider and avoid tangling the grain in its passage through the machine; attaching the grain-Wheel at such a point to the side of the machine that the line of the sickle will come Within its diameter, and generally near the center, so as to cut the stubble of uniform height; furnishing the sickle-bar with a groove extending through the divider and.

extending to the first iinger, for the end of the sickle to play out of the divider and return in,

so as to cut with a short sickle and permit said wheel occupying said position placing the tinger next the divider at right angles to the iinger-bar, and making it longer than the other lingers, so as to remove part ofthe grain that accumulates in the corner to the next space to be cut; making the edges of the adjacent sides of the sickle-teeth unequal, so `as to cause them to cut with the same angle on both sides of the finger, also the springguides for the rake to turn on after delivering the'sheaf,

and the cone or funnel on the knee-lever balancing the rake by means of a larger and `heavier rod on the opposite side of the reel;

contracting the width of the sheaf, when being discharged, by means of the chtite above mentioned on one side and guide on the opposite side; the mode of driving the driving-belt pulley with its axis of motion oblique to the line of the shaft which drives it; the cutter on the divider to enable the divider to do its work ;v the scraper in front of the master-wheel, and gearing to remove the cut grain out of the way ofthe machine; attaching the grain-wheel to the machine at a point forward of the line of the master-wheel shaft and opposite the end of the sickle-bar, so as to cut the stubble of a uniform height, balance the machine, take off side draft, and cause the machine to turn easy at the corners, making the sickle-teeth serratted on the smoothl side and grinding the bevel, thus retaining the thickness of the plate and a close shearedge, securing the bolt between the. side guides and tightening it by means ofafriction-roller. y

In the accompanying drawings, Plates I and II, Figure I is a side elevation; Fig. Il, a top views; Fig. III, an internal view of right end;

Fig. VII, a top view ofthe sickle-tooth; d and c, an end view; Fig. VIII, a section of the driving-belt, pulley P, box n, and part of the master-Wheel shaft W; Fig. 1X, crank t', pitman lr, and end of sickle h; Fig. X, cutter on divider t', and 2 the belt-hook.

A is the master-wheel ;l D D, the shafts for the rear horse, on the front of which is a crosspiece having the staple 3 in it for bitching the front horse. Y

5 is the drivers seat, and 4 his foot-rest.

B B is an angular frame, rising .from the wheel-frame. mais a frame on the opposite side, and between these two are placed the finger-bar H and platform J. These, with the reel-shaft N, are placed oblique to the line of draft, cutting the rear angle' formed by the nger-bar and line of draft less than a right angle. y

Z is the nose ordivider.

r is the cutter on the divider.

g' is a chute'made of wood or sheet metal, and made fast tothe platform J and frame I I I I. with its rear end descending and turned away from the standing grain.

Q is a scraper placed under the front ofthe wheel-frame and oblique tothe line of draft, having its rear end extending beyond the lefthand side of the machine and its iront end extending into the line of the master-wheel A.

On the opposite side of the platform from the chute q is a guide, q, made of woodor sheet metal, and extending back from the machine, and its rear end is inclined toward the standing grain.

L L L are three ot the reel-rods, and are connected to the shaft N by arms M M M. vThe fourth one is connected by angular arms E E to the shaft N. 0n this shaft, and in front of the drivers seat 5, is the cone or funnel t on the knee-lever t), for the purpose of operating the lever Y to latch'the rake K. Said lever O is provided with a slot to permit it to slide freely on the shaft N, and when moved bythe knee to the right it throws the end of lever Y out from the shaft N, said lever being pivoted on M, and causes the end which passes through the shaft N to project far enough to catch the rake K and retain it until the lever 0 is removed to let the rake K discharge the sheaf. It will be seen that the cone t acts equally during the revolution of the reel on Y.

V is a guide to the joint connecting the pit-- man and sickle l1, and secures it from working out of the eye ot' the sickle.

U is a groove in which the end ofthe sickle opposite the crank plays, and is made of sheet metal. It extends through the divider Z and to the rst finger.

Alternate parts of the rear of the sickle bar and teeth are removed, so as to produce alternate self-reversing bearings by so arranging the rear portions of the rear of the sickle-bar with the shoulders of the fingers that while said rear portions of the bar rest against one set of shoulders the open spaces are opposite the other set,and when, by the motion of the crank, the bar is so moved as to cause the rear portions to bear against the last-mentioned shoulders the spaces will be opposite the first-meutioned shoulders, and so alternately reversing.

h is the sickle, and is made ofthe same length as the cut of the machine, thus making the groove U necessary. Said groove extends through the divider and to the first linger, and is for the end of the sickle to return in after it )has been drawn out of the divider, and prevent the grain passing in behind it. 1t will be seen t-lat when a sickle of the same length as the cut of the machine is used it must necessarily be drawn out of the divider one-half of the distance it is vibr'ated, and thus the bar is moved one-half of its working distance before the end reaches theinside ofthedivider. Consequently it only reaches into the divider one-halt' of its working distance, thus'leaving one-half of the space occupied by the end of the common long sickle for the grain-wheel, and by this arrangement I am enabled to attach the grain-wheel S opposite the end of the sickle, and at the same time bring its point of vbearing on the ground within the space cleared by the divider. The teeth of the sickleare made with one of the cutting-edges longer than the other, to make them cut with equal angles on both sides ofthe iin gers. The sickle, when vibrated, works obliquely in the fingers, the benefit of which will hereinafter be shown. The finger next the divider is longer than the other fingers, and set at right angles to the finger-piece H, which makes it diverge from the line of draft.

R R are spring-guides on the inside of the machine, and are made of wood with springs behind them, or ofsheet metal, and are for the rake K to ascend on after it has delivered the sheaf.

L is a larger and heavier reel-rod than the others, made to balance the rake K.

P isa pulley` receivingmotion from the masterwheel shaft W, which pulley runs on a stud on box, a, whose center is oblique to the masterwheel shalt 7. This is done as follows: The center of the hole in the box a and stud is just as much oblique tothe center of the stud 'as the reel-shaft N is to the right angle of the line of draft-that is, the stud and reel-shaft are parallel to eachother. The pin 6 in the shaft W, to drive said pulley, occupies the exact point where the centers of the shaft W and stud meet or cross each other. The larger part of the bore in said pulley P fits on the stud, while the smaller part leaves a portion of the hub of wheel, when slotted, for said pin 6 to work in and drive the pulley.

dis a sickle-tooth, both edges of which have been swaged down on the smooth side, forming recesses in which to make the serrated edge,

(very deep serrating will answer the same purpose without s\'agi1|g,) and serrated and ground oit' bevcling on the other side, leaving the serrating on the smooth side, so as to be ground in the same manner as the smooth edge without diminishing the thickness of the plate and retain a close shear-edge.A

2 is a belt-hook, having a head on one end and a short bend at a right angle near the head and a hook at the other.

X X are side guides, between which a belt runs.

T is a friction-roller, ruiming on an axle between said guides for tightening the belt.

S is the grain-wheel, and is secured, at any desired heightof stubble, to the side of the machine by a single boltpassing through a short arm or axle. v

The operation of this machineis as follows: The horses being hitched tandem, and the finger-bar H, platform J, and reel being oblique to the line of draft when the machine is drawn forward, the reel-rodsL L L L, when they enter the grain in front of the reel-shaft N, extend into the grain at the side of the machine, so as to bring in all the grain in front of the divider Z, although leaning sidewise six degrees; and -when the rake K is dropped it moves the grain across the platform J in the same straight line in which it was reeled down, but not in aline parallel with the line of draft, bnt'at right angles to the reel-shaft N. New, when the grain reaches the chute q it is some fifteen inches from the standing grain, the top then being turned still farther by means of the chute q before it reaches the ground. Itis then removed so far as to admit the team, when t the machine.

" thus hitched, and machine to pass between the contract the width ofthe .sheaf and make it more easily taken up for the purpose of binding. t

rThe operation of the cone t on the knee-lever 0 and slot in the lever will readily be understood, and it will be seen that bythis I notonly dispense with some machinery, but make it more easily operated than by the arrangement in my former patent.

The use ot the jointJguide Y to the joint connecting the pitman la and sickle 71J is to dispense with some machinery and avoid breakage, (because when a key is used in the end ot' the hook ot' the pitinan to hold the joint together the key is likely to lose out, when the hook will work out, so astocause it to break,)

`the keyand end of the hook heilig dispensed with. t The cutter'rn on the divider Z is'used to cut the way through the lodged grain and grass, and its use willbev readily understood. The groove U is to secure the return of the end ot' the sickle into the mortise in the divider and prevent the grain passing in behind it when it is drawn out ot' the divider.

The alternate spaces in the rear ot' the sickle bar and teeth are t'or the purpose of permitting any grass or grain that may accumulate on top ot the teeth totpass back and dropout, as while the barrests against the shoulder of y one finger the space is open at theother. The

sickle lo, working oblique in the tingers, is inclined to work all rubbish back where it can drop out. The sickle h is made the samelength A as the cnt ofthe machine,.so as to permit the grain-wheel S being attached opposite to the end ot' it, thus making the groove U necessary. The edges of the sickle-teeth are made unequal, so as to make the angle of cut against the opposite sides of the n gers equal-a necessary consequence ofthe Obliquity of the fingers to the bar.

The finger next .the divider is made longer than the others and placed at right angles to the i'iger-bar H, which makes it diverge from the line lof draft, so as to remove a portion of the grain which accumulates in the corner to the next space to be cut. This is necessary, as the quantity is often so great that it cannot ne cut in one space. Consequently/the machine will run over it. Y

The spring-guides R are for the rake K to return on after delivering the sheaf and preventing it from swinging back and coming in contact with the falling grain, said guides closing in behind it after it has ,passed between them. Thus it has to move up the rear of the guides R untilit gets too high to catch the falling grain as it passes into the reel again.

The pulley P, when placed on the stud on box n, is made to revolve on the same and drive the reel and rake K by means of a belt passing over it and pulley 7 on the reel-shaft, by means of the pin 6 in the master-wheel shaft W, v When the machine is moving this oblique position ot' the pulley Pis necessary4 in driving the reel and rake K by said pulley.

d is a sickle-tooth, and is `serrated on the smooth, sides in a recessjust sufficient to prevent the serrating from being worn `against the finger. The same may be accomplished by very deep serrating, so as to leave enough ot' the cut of the chisel, after the face has again been ground ott-smooth, to leave a good ser` rated edge, so as to grind the bevel and retain a close shear-edge without reducing the thickness ot' the plate.

The use of the belt-hook 2 will be under-` stood. It is designed to take the place ot' the buckle and the thong, possessing the advantages ofboth. The buckle is used 4to shorten a belt without cutting it., but is very apt to tare the belt. The whole strength of the belt cannot be used with a buckle. Besides, it cannot be used in the side guides. A thong can be used only at the end of thehelt, and must be cut ott' at the end to shorten it. Now, hooks ot' the above kind willovercome both thesedifculties, as they will pass through side guides, as well as a thong, and can be moved to any set of holes and hooked in without cutting the belt. X X, the side guides, secure the belt on the pulleys P and 7 when the machine is strained or twisted,so as to throw said pulleys ont of line. .The friction roller T, iunning between the side guides, X X, ouah axle, serves to tighten the boltand keep it tight on the pulleys and take upthe slack of the belt until it stretches enough to hook in another set of holes.

There are t'onr distinct reasons for placing the grain-wheel S opposite the end ot' the sickle-bar and forward ot the line of the master-wheel shaft- First. To canse the machine to cut the stubble ot' a uniform height on uneven ground. This will be understood.

Second. Said wheel, when placed forward of theline of the master-wheel shaft, and having its axle placed in a radial line from the center ot' the master-Wheel, will have `its plane converging toward the team, and when drawn forward will press toward the team, and thus take oft' side draft or incline to run the machine out of the grain. bel done with the wheel S on the line of the shaft Ot the master-wheel, as it would then only press directly against the master-wheel,

and only for the vgreat weight on the masterwheel would cause the rear end of the machine to run ott' .around the horses, the same as the master-wheel would ifthe front edge ofit were inclined from the grain; but the great weight ou the master-wheel causes it to hold firmly to' the ground, and the grain wheel S being placed forward ot' the line ot' the master-wheel shaft it of course presses a point forward` of the bearing of the master-wheel on the ground and incline the machine1 to turn to the left,

This, it will be seen, could notw while the grain, pressing` against the cut of the machine and divider, inclines it to turn to the right.

Third. It will be seen that when the axle of the grain-wheel is on said radial line the niachine will always turn easy at the corners, as the master-wheel is the point on which all side rea ping-machines turn at the corners.

Fourth. It is the point on which the machine is properly balanced, leavingjust weight enough on the neck of the horse.

.Having thus described my improvement, I am aware that grain has been reeled down, cut, and conveyed over the platform and discharged in a contiiluouslystraight line parallel to the line of draft; and I am aware that curved and bent platforms, and also platforms oblique not only to the line of draft, but also to the reel and finger-bar, have been used to discharge the grain behind the master-wheel, or otherwise remove it from the standing grain; but

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. rIhe above-described arrangement of reel, cutting apparatus, and platform, all oblique to the line of draft, or reel acting obliquely over any platform, or any other substantially equivalent device, whereby the grain is at once reeled down, eut, and conveyed over the platform in a eontinuously-straight line, and at the same time delivered at a sufficient distance from the standing grain to permit the passage ot' the horses between it and the cut grain when cutting the next swath.

2. So placing the reel, as above described, that the reel-rods will strike the grain when theyenter itoutside ofthe line passing through the point ofthe divider and parallel to the line of draft.

3. Placing the grain-wheel in a plane intersecting the line ot' draft, so that it may relieve or counteract the side draft, as above set forth. 4. Placing the axis of the grain-wheel (when so located in a plane intersecting` the line ot' draft) in a plane'whieh passes vertically through the center of the master-wheel, so that it may at the same time give ease in turning at the corners, as above set forth.

5. The combination of the metal groove U and the sickle 7L (the length of which is that ot' the cut of the machine) for the purpose ofenabling lne to place the grainwheel opposite the end of the sickle, and at the same time with its point of bearing on the ground Within the space-cleared b v the divider, as set forth.

6. The longer and divergent finger next to the divider, substantially as and for the purposes above set forth and described.

7. 'Ihe sickle-tooth d, serrated on the smoot h side and beveled on the other, substantially as and for the purposes` above set forth and described.

S. The alternate spaces in the rear of the sickle bar and teeth, combined with the shoulders on the fingers, against which the sicklebarworks, for the purpose ofalternating the bearings, as and for the purposes above set forth and described.

9. The cone t on the knee-lever O, substantially as described, and for the purposes above set forth.

10. And, finally, disclaiming the broad device of guides to return the rake in a different path from that in which it advanced, I claim the combination of the rake K, swinging from one arm ofthe reel,with the spring-plate guides R, by which, when the rake has delivered the grain at the end of the platform, it is prevented from swinging back and coming in contact with the falling grain, as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name before` tivo subscribing witnesses.

ABNER WHITELEY.

IVitnesses:

J oHN L. SMITH, WILLIAM I. MARTIN. 

